Improvement in automatic gas lighting and extinguishing mechanisms



GQ P'. GANSTER, Automatic Gas Lighting and Extinguishing Mechanism.

No. 211.505 Patented J'anf2l,1879.

- WI PIESS ES:

%%@LW qnm N.PETERs, PHOTOLITHQG RAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

GEORGE P. GANSTER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTING AND'EXTINGUISHING MECHANISMS.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 211,505, dated January21, 1879; application filed June 7, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE P. GANSTER, ofReading,l3erks county, in the State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements relating to Lighting and EX-tinguishing Gas, of which the following is a specification My improvedapparatus is analogous in its general features to that described in thepatentgrantedtomeDecember4,1S77,No.197,771. In that patent I have showna clock mechanism, driven by the gas itself, acting on a motor-wheel,and imparting the requisite force or power to drive the clock throughthe medium of a spring. The spring was wound up by the force of themechanism while much gas was being used during the night, and retainedsufficient power to drive the clock during the interval when little wasused during the day.

I find the consumption of gas, although slight, is sufficient to drivethe small and easily-worked clock mechanism which is required, and I cangreatly simplify the mechanism and increase the certainty of itsefficient action by making the connection direct from the gas-motor tothe clock, providing a suitable slip-jointto dispose of any surplusmotion.

In my previous apparatus there were two adjustable cams, eachindependently changeable, the one determining the period for letting onthe gas in a strong flame for illuminating when night comes on, and theother for determining the period in the morning for suppressing thestrong flame and reducing the consumption of gas to the "cry small flamewhich burns during the day. As the days lengthen or shorten, anattendant may change both cams, so as to keep tolcrably close to theproper times; but it requires much attention.

I have now devised and practically worked out means for automaticallychanging such periods of letting on and suppressing the flow of gas asthe days lengthen and shorten with the change of seasons.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus, partly in section, with thefront of the case removed. the same, with the front of the case in position; and Fig. 3 shows detailed views of one of the cams.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the fixed frame-work or casing; a, the pipe through which gas isreceived 5 and a a by-pass, through which the gas to supply the mainburner is carried around without passing through the motor, as willappear farther on.

B is amotor-wheel, receiving the gas through a central pipe, ta which isa branch from the pipe (0. Its construction need not be describedfurther than to say that it corresponds with the well-known form ofrevolving wheel used in wet-meters. This wheel is divided by a tightpartition, A from the other portion of the casing, and the chamber inwhich the motorwheel 13 is inclosed is filled to the proper level withglycerine, oil, or analogous fluid. The wheel B is delicately mounted,so that it may revolve with little resistance from friction. It carriesa spur-gear wheel, 13, which engages with another wheel, 0 on the shaft0. This shaft turns in a close-fitting bearing in the partition A andthus communicates the turning motion of the wheel B to the clockmechanism.

I will represent the entire clock mechanism by the single letter M. Itwill be understood that any of the approved forms of clock-work may beused for this mechanism, with the additions of the parts now to bedescribed, which adapt it to its peculiar service in this combina- Ytion.

There is a slip-joint at the point E. A spurwheel, C fixed on the shaft0, gears with a wheel, 0 revolving on a stud, 0 carried by the partitionA The wheel 0 engages with a larger wheel, D, which is fitted loosely onthe shaft c of the clock-work. The turning of the wheel D is of noeffect in driving the clock mechanism except as friction is inducedthere on by griping this wheel between collars on the shaft 0. One ofthese collars, c, is fixed and plane. The other collar, E, is dished,and may, if desired, be cut with several slits extending inward from theperiphery nearly to the center, to increase its elasticity. This collarE being formed with a square hole and match= Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section of in g on a square part of the shaft 6, contributes toreceive and impart to the shaft 0 the rotatory force of the wheel D,according as it is pressed with more or less force against the latter. Anut, 6 fitted on thethreaded end of the shaft 0, may be turned by handor otherwise to adjust the force with which the collars E e gripe orpinch on the wheel D to form the slip-joint. When, in consequence of thepassage of the larger quantity of gas, the motorwheel B turns fasterthan is required to drive the clockwork, the slip-joint, which I willdesignate, when necessary, by the single letter E, allows the surplusmotion to be lost in simply overcoming the friction between the wheel Dand the shaft 6. A constant small consumption of gas being maintained,the wheel 13 tends to turn with an approximate uniformity; and the partsbeing rightly adjusted, the motor supplies the proper force for theclockwork, with always a little surplus motion. The clock-work M is sogeared as to revolve the wheels G and H once in twenty-four hours. Theyrevolve in the direction indicated by the arrows. Iwill designate them,when necessary, as "twenty-four-houfl wheels. There are adjustable camsg and h mounted on the same centers as the wheels Gr and H, and by aconstruction substantially as represented in my Patent No. 197,771,above referred to, each rotation of the wheel G communicates an openin gmotion at a certain period to a valve for admitting gas to the mainburner, while at another period the wheel H, acting in concert with itscam it, gives a closing motion to such valve.

0 and I? are levers which communicate motion, respectively, from G and Hto horizontal arms extending in opposite directions from an uprightshaft, It, on the upper end of which upright shaft is an oscillatingvalve, in the form of a horizontal circular plate, It, provided withsmall holes 1. This plate R r fits gas-tight upon a plane stationarysurface, wh1ch is correspondingly perforated, and is open to receive gasthrough the pipe a. When the lever 0 turns the shaft R in one directionthe gas is let on, and, flowing out through the large burner Y, givesthe desired illumination,

until by the action of the other lever, P, the shaft It is turned againin the opposite direc tion, and correspondingly turns the valve B, so asto move its holes 1' out of connection with the corresponding holes inthe seat, and the gas being shut off the main burner Y is extinguished.

The gas issuing from the main burner Y is ignited by a small constantflame, w, issuing from a relatively-large orifice or mouth-piece, J,which is fitted on the small pipe J, through which the gas issues afterits escape from the motor-wheel 13. This constant flame must be verysmall in order to avoid wasting gas. I find by experiment, or otherwise,the required size of the orifice to discharge a proper amount of gas andcontract the passage to the required extent at the point 3'. I attachmuch importance to the fact that this point is not at the mouth orissuing-point at the top J ofthe tube but is at a point so far removedtherefrom that the heat of the flame w induces no corrosion or otherdifficulty. In my experiments I have produced the proper contraction atthe point j by introducing an accuratelydrilled jewel at the requiredpoint, and closing the metal of the tube J tightly upon it bycompression.

The shield A which incases the small flame 0c, and prevents it frombeing extinguished by drafts of air or other accidental cause, may be ofthe same construction that I have shownin my previous patent. The casingA which covers the valve B, should be adapted, as shown, to allow thevalve to be inspected and removed, when necessary. The filling-orifice Aconnects with the chamber in which the motor-wheel B turns, and isavailable to supply additional oil or glycerine, as required.

A is an overflow-plug, which aids to. regulate the height of the fluid.

I can vary the position of the cam h at will to reduce the action properto this cam at an earlier or later period by simply slacking thecorresponding pinching-screw K and shiftin g the cam partially aroundand again tightening it by setting up the screw. When this cam is onceproperly adjusted to correspond in act-ion with the other cam, y, itneed not be again disturbed; but the adjustment for the varying lengthsof the days may be effected through the medium of the connected levers gh These are connected, the lever directly to the cam g, and the lever hindirectly to the cam h, by the aid of the pinching-screw K, which istapped through the ring encompassing the cam, as shown. The levers g hextend toward each other. They are coupled by means of a screw, T, whichis tapped into the arm 9, passing loosely through a slot in the arm It.By raising or lowering the screw 'T both arms are moved simultaneouslyand to a practically equal extent. 7. j

The cams g and h are so formed that the lowering of the screw T, whileit makes the period of lighting earlier, makes the period ofextinguishing later. So, also, raising the screw T and correspondinglyraising the arms 9 7L makes the period of lighting later and the periodof extinguishing earlier.

The above reduces to a single operation the adjustment of both cams, andis to that extent an improvement on my previous invention; but myimprovement makes an important step further.

U is what I term a year-wheel. It is turned by a gear, U fixed on itsshaft, which engages with a worm gear, U carried by a shaft, U uponwhich is mounted a bevel-pinion, U gearing into a pinion, U fixed on theshaft U of the gear-wheel U, which receives motion from the clockmechanism, and drives the twenty-four-hour wheels G H, thus causing thewheel U to make one complete revolution only once in three hundred andsixty-five and one-quarter (365%) days. A crank-pin, a, set near theperiphery of this year-wheel U, is connected by a link, V, to the screwT. As the Wheel U slowly revolves, it acts through the link V to lowerthe screw T during the entire period from June to December, and to raisethe screw T during the period from December to June. The crank-motion isexcellently well adapted to induce this automatic action. For aconsiderable period, near the 20th of December, the crank is on itsdeadcenter at the bottom, and induces no appreciable change in theposition of the cams. A like condition obtains near the summer solstice;but at the periods when the sun is crossing the line in March andSeptember the change is rapid. This automatic adjustment relieves theattendant from all labor, and, furthermore, makes the action moreperfect than can be attained by any ordinary means in adjusting by hand.The change is each day, and the mechanism can be constructed andadjusted with nicety, so as to keep very near the desired moment oflighting and extinguishing.

Modifications may be made by any good mechanic. I can vary theconstruction of the slip-joint E within wide limits. I can make thenozzle or tip J adjacent to the small flame removable and exchangeable,if it shall under any circumstances be desired. I can provide a cockwhich shall close the flow of gas to support the small flame whenever itis required for repairs or for other purposes.

I can employ other forms of motors than the wheel B represented; but itis obviously important that it shall be a construction of motor whichallows little or no leakage, because the consumption of gas isverysmall, and if much leakage or passing by occurs the flame would besupplied without the motor being worked and the clock would stop.

I can use much less than the entire mechanism of the clock to serve asthe time-com trolling mechanism. Thus a simple escapement and a muchsmaller set of gear-wheels than is ordinarily employed may serve; but Iesteem it important to attain a high degree of perfection in thetimekeeping, so that it practicable the mechanism may run for months oryears without the clock mechanism gaining or losing so much as torequire resetting. The uniformity of temperature maintained by the closeproximity of the small continuous flame facilitates the attainment ofthis degree of perfection. By using glycerine or oil as thesealing-fluid for the motor with the connections shown, I insure alubricating of the mechanism which largely or entirely precludes thenecessity of ever oiling by hand; but this may be varied, and the workmay be oiled by hand at long intervals, or may, I believe, run withoutoil.

Some parts of the invention may be useful withoutthe others. I can makethe whole of the gas flow through the same motor-wheel B,

with the efiect of increasing the amount of slipping motion at theslip-joint.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a motor operated by asmall continuous flow of gas, a small burner supplied thereby, a largerburner, and provisions for turning on and off the flow to the latter bythe action of the motor, as herein specified.

2. A clock mechanism operated directly from a gas-motor withoutintermediate spring, in combination with a small burner, maintaining acontinuous motion of the motor, and mechanism controlled by the clockfor letting on and shutting off the supply to a main burner, as hereinspecified.

3. In an apparatus .for mechanically lighting and extinguishing gas-lights, the independent pipes or conduits a a one for the smallcontinuous flame, and the other for the strong periodic flame, incombination with the subordinate burner J, serving the double functionof igniting the large burner and of maintaining a continuous motion ofthe motor 13, as herein specified.

4. In an. apparatus for mechanically lighting and extinguishinggas-lights, the cams 9 hand arms 9 h, connected as shown, so that theadjustment of one cam insures the corresponding adjustment of the other,as and 'for the purposes herein specified.

5. In an apparatus for mechanically lighting and extinguishinggas-lights, the employment, in combination with the operating-cam h andadjusting-lever h, of the ring h loosely inclosing the cam h. andallowing the latter to be adjusted within the former, and secured by thepinching-screw K, or its equivalent, as

and for the purposes herein specified.

6. In an apparatus for mechanically lighting and extinguishinggas-lights, the year wheel U and connection V, in combination with thearms 9 h, cams g h, and suitable clock mechanism M, adapted toautomatically induce the required changes in the periods of commencingand discontinuing the illumination, substantially as and for thepurposes herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of June,1878, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. I. GANSTEB.

Witnesses:

EDITH BROOKES, CHAS. O. S'rErsoN.

